The Good, Bad, & Ugly of 2012

It's always fun to look back and recap at the end of something old, and the beginning of something new. What better time to reminisce and look back at the end of a year (which seem to be stuck on "fast-forward" these days...they seem to fly by!) So here is the S'Moore version of the good, bad & ugly of 2012

The Good-
1) Our Family trip to Hilton Head in May. It's the first time we've ever road-tripped as a family of 4. Macie was only 4 months old, but we had a blast and really felt a sense of freedom for the first time since she was born.

2) Discovering Memphis Kiddie Park! I was so nervous that Carson would scream and hate it, but it was quite the opposite! The face says it all!

 

 3) Our Cabin trip- Brandon & Rachel getting engaged and Carson catching his first fish. Plus...who doesn't love s'moores?

 

4) Randomly purchasing a gi-normous generator (see more on that during the bad & ugly section)

5) Strengthening my relationship with God and continuing the work in progress to not use foul language

6) Getting the experience to spend quality time with my friend during her last few days on this Earth. It was truly one of the most beautiful experiences in my life.

7) Everyone in the family getting passports- you are now free to move outside the country :) Yahooo!

 8) Learning to eat clean and losing the rest of the baby weight (plus some) and fitting back into my wedding dress :) 


The Bad

1) Getting pulled over in the first 3 hours of our 13 hour road trip to Hilton Head. Silly me had already thought of exactly what I was going to say if I got pulled over (premonition?) and it worked! I drove off with a warning. (p.s. I'm not sharing my secret of how I got off :)

2) The dishwasher fiasco........yikes

3) Hurricane Sandy/ Frankenstorm and losing power for 4 days. Not fun with 2 kids/babies. Mom was stuck in Thailand and her basement was filled with 6 inches of water. No fun at all!

4) Spending an entire day at Metro with a family member who was injured. I hate seeing anyone I care about sick/injured. It still makes my stomach hurt to think about it.....oh and Travis was 3.5 hours away (hunting) with no cell signal during the whole fiasco.

5) Getting a bunch of money stolen from us :(.... But I am all about forgiving

Matthew 6:14-15

For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.  But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

The Ugly

 1) Breaking into Drug Mart to get extension cords during Frankenstorm (power outtage) only to find out that the store was opening in 15 minutes....whoops

2) After a rough weekend, missing my work exit by 3 (THREE) exits and having to be late. Try explaining that one to the chief.....who doesn't notice after the first 2 exits went by? I was pretty much in downtown Cleveland trying to go to Berea! Clearly my mind was in other places.

3)  Brandon Weeden- what a let down!

4) Travis and I getting the stomach flu at the exact same time. I'm still cleaning puke off the walls....thankfully my Mom came to the rescue to help with the chitlens!

I think that pretty much sums up the good, bad, & ugly for 2012! Historically, I tend to have better odd years. I'm looking forward to a bright and shiny 2013 and all it has to offer. I'm blessed in so many ways...healthy children, happy marriage, awesome family, a loving church etc. etc. I'm looking forward to living 2013 a little more frugaly (is that a word?...it is now!) and being able to give a little more. There will be more on that coming up. I'm also hoping to get a little less connected and a little more dis-connected. Confused? Yeah so am I! I'm contemplating removing all my apps from my phone for the month of January in order to dis-connect from the electronic/social media world for a bit. I wanted to shut my phone off completely for January 2013, but I don't think its safe with no land line and having little ones at home. So for right now...I'm thinking of just getting rid of all apps for a month. You bet I'm like a crack addict in a dark alley trying to get all my apping (I think I just made up another word) in while I can. See? There needs to be an intervention. Merry Christmas ya'll and please share your good, bad and ugly of 2012!

Values

Around the holidays, I think everyone has a tendency to sit back and think about what they value in life. Growing up, my parents worked very hard and lived a frugal life. They never had fancy cars, our house was a modest ranch, and I tease my Mom incessantly about the fact that if I ever wanted anything in life...it ALWAYS had to be for a birthday gift or Christmas gift. The funny thing is, she just sent me this article titled "How to curb kids' impulse buying" and this was number 1 on the list. 

1.     Provide for needs, but not wants
According to Ron Lieber, the New York Times “Your Money” columnist who is currently working on a book titled “The Opposite of Spoiled,” one approach, starting around kindergarten, is to buy your kids presents only at holidays and birthdays, and have children pay for everything else.

Of course I laughed pretty hard....so she DID know what she was doing when raising me. I was never decked out with all new outfits for "back to school" shopping, and Christmas was usually one nice gift....and no stockings! Sounds evil right? (Mom..if you are reading this...you know all of this is true). But one thing that my parents instilled in me, was to spend money on time, not things.
We might have scoured the clearance racks to get good deals, but we always went on nice vacations. As I got older....the trips only got better. If my Mom got a Christmas bonus, you bet we spent it on a nice trip to Mexico. She would always say "Just remember, Christmas will be small." Totally fine with me! One of my last memories with my Dad was an awesome trip to Cancun. These are memories that I will have forever, side splitting stories of my Dad eating corn kernels off the tablecloth after a few cocktails.

So this year, I had the complete disaster the awesome opportunity to get the kids passports and take them on a Disney cruise.

Plastic crap from China will only hold their attention for weeks to months. Memories and pictures of a fun family trip will last a lifetime. I feel like this passport is a ticket to future opportunities to show the kids the world. I couldn't be more excited to have an adult only dinner spend a week together having fun in the sun! I hope it's a blast!

The Christmas tree (that's half lit.....thanks pre-lit trees! what a rip!) will be a little bare this year. But come February....our hearts will be full! What values did your parents instill in you that are still important in your life?

Tips for Thanksgiving

Ok so you have started eating clean and have noticed great improvements in your life! Your clothes feel looser, muscles are starting to appear that you haven't seen for years, and most of all...you feel good! Everything is going along..right on track...yet you know what is looming ahead! Thanksgiving!!! You know...the time to give thanks and stuff our face with so much food we need elastic pants holiday?? Yep! That's the one! So how do we go about surviving this holiday without sabotaging all of the progress we've made? Here are some tips & tricks!

1) Minimize the damage. Make choices. Choose stuffing vs. a roll. Choose a glass of wine over a piece of pie. Just take all of the normal things you would eat on Thanksgiving...and start making choices between the not so clean ones. Essentially...if you do the math (engi-nerd over here) you have eliminated 50% of the bad stuff that normally contributes to needing the elastic pants.

2) Offer to bring a clean dish. If you can guarantee at least one dish is clean, and then you cut out 50% of the not-so-clean, you are way ahead of the game. I love the Clean Eating magazines (borrow some from the library) and pick out a new recipe to try. I saw a good one for green beans with water chestnuts and shallots. Yum!! Its a good opportunity to try out a new recipe and also share clean eating with family and friends. Offer to bring a crust-less pumpkin pie! Its delicious and much cleaner than regular.

3) Maximize the clean stuff. Roasted turkey? Absolutely clean!! Take an extra piece of roasted turkey over a heaping spoonful of buttery mashed potatoes. Sweet potatoes? Clean! Just ask someone to leave a few aside before they add 6 lbs of butter and 6 cups of brown sugar and marshmallows!

4) H20! H20! Don't forget to keep drinking!! Lots O Water folks! Keeps you fuller...keeps flushing out the toxins

5)Workout earlier that day. Sign up for a turkey trot! (Even if you walk..or just run half of it) It's a good way to get you out of bed! Try a new Jillian Michaels DVD. Put the turkey in the oven and directly get your workout in. It will help even out some of the extra calories you take in later.

6) Don't forget to eat. Don't save yourself for the "big meal". Get up...eat a delicious protein filled breakfast like you normally do. Eat a mid-morning snack just like usual. Try to stay on track as much as possible so that when it's time to eat Thanksgiving Dinner, you don't over-eat the bad stuff.

7) Keep in mind...sugar is the enemy here. If you have to make choices....fat over sugar any day!

8) Remember..you aren't going to get fat over one day. Wake up the next day and get back to the usual grind. Pack snacks to take with you for black friday shopping....don't let one day turn into a week of over-eating.

9) Because after all....you know whats coming next right? Holiday parties!!! womp....womp...womp

Good luck friends! Ya'll rock my socks off! I can't believe how many people have adapted this way of life and are messaging me with all the lbs they are losing. Just keep swimming....just keep swimming. What are you thankful for??

Additional Tips & Tricks

I am completely humbled and excited that I've been able to inspire multiple people. That really was my goal....even if it meant exposing my post-partum gut on the worldwide web. I have gotten messages from people I haven't talked to since high school, people have added me to facebook because someone shared my blog with them. This is the EXACT medicine I needed to relieve my carpal tunnel symptoms from typing that all out. :)

Here are some more tips & tricks

1) Use myfitnesspal app! Or any other tracking app will do..I've just found myfitnesspal is very easy to use. In the beginning..when you are learning how to eat clean, you should really track everything you are eating for a few weeks for a few reasons. For one, you need to have an idea of how many calories you are taking in. For the average female..I would try to stay within 1200-1450 for weight loss. When eating 5-6 meals a day, it is easy to get carried away with how much you are eating. After a few weeks of tracking it, you really adapt a lifestyle and won't need to do this. Also it helps you stay accountable for WHAT you are eating. If you put it down...you are less likely to be eating those extra Halloween candies laying around. And last, add me (username lilduff02) and you can check in and see what I'm eating to get ideas (and I can check in on you..to see how you are doing). Make sure you go into the settings and set your diary to public if you want to use this function

2) Weigh yourself once a week . If you are actively trying to lose weight, you will make yourself bonkers trying to weigh yourself everyday. Your weight flucuates so much day to day based on a variety of factors (when did you poo last? how much did you drink before you went to bed? how many hours did you sleep? were you weighing yourself in a thong? or granny panties?) just a few examples :) Try to weigh yourself first thing in the morning (preferably nakkie) once a week.

3) Be patient. I know I know....I did this in 2.5 months. Everyone is different. We all have different starting points, metabolisms, shapes, etc. It takes time. There were weeks where I wouldn't lose any weight..or might even gain a pound. But then all of a sudden I would lose 2 lbs in one week. Also, if you are working out in addition to eating clean you are building lean muscle mass. We all know that muscle weighs more than fat. So there may be some weeks that even though you are losing fat, the additional muscle mass made you maintain your weight. But remember....muscle = free calorie burners!! So eventually...those new muscles will help you lose more weight. The closer you get to your goal, the slower it will go. I want to lose 3 more lbs and have been working on it for weeks. I know I'm building more muscle...because I can see all the definition and the unsightly cellulite is disappearing, but the scale hasn't budged. Don't give up...keep plugging away. So many people give up when they are centimeters away from succeeding.

4) The cleanse. I have had a lot of people inquire (and order) the Advocare cleanse I mentioned in my first post. This is a passive herbal cleanse (meaning no crazy trips to the bathroom or sharting your pants at work). Unlike many cleanses, you do not starve yourself with liquid diets or any of that nonsense. You eat during the whole cleanse, but just cut out certain foods (dairy, alcohol, sugar) etc. to cleanse your organs and reduce inflammation. It helps you detox off sugar etc. If you are interested in the 24 day challenge (10 day cleanse plus a 14 day MAX vitamin phase) that can also be ordered from this website. If you have any additional questions...don't hesitate to ask.
https://www.advocare.com/12083177

That is the website to order. For the cleanse, you will need "The Herbal Cleanse" and "Spark" (either the pouches $22 or the canister $51) and I highly recommend the "Omegaplex" supplement as well. If you don't want to use omegaplex, just buy some sort of omega supplement. I can vouge for Advocare's omega supplement because Dr. Oz tested a bunch of them, and Advocare's was one of the only ones that actually contained what it advertised. Since supplements aren't regulated by the FDA, many of them falsely advertise their contents.

5) Fast food . I had advised on what to order if you go out to eat, but I forgot to mention anything about fast food. Obviously we should avoid it at all costs, but sometimes this is not possible. You will laugh at what I'm about to recommend.......Chipotle! Chipotle actually tries their hardest to get the freshest ingredients and hormone/antibiotic free local meats. Order the lettuce bowl and add the BROWN rice, meat, black beans, salsa, guacamole even! Skip the dressing...you wont need it. This is not something I would eat all the time...but when you are in a pinch, order and enjoy! If you can't do chipotle, read Tosca Reno's book and there is a section for "Eating on the GO". She gives lots of ideas for things to pack on the go, as well as recommendations for fast food restaurants.

6) Make some protein balls! If you have been reading my blog, you know that I perfected making protein balls. But honestly, they are a great snack to keep in the freezer for everytime you need a quick snack or something sweet. Its so much easier to turn down the kit kat in your kids Halloween bucket if you can grab a delicious treat to satisfy that craving. There are a billion recipes for these out there. If you don't have a food processor, you can try the blender or hand mixing. 

7) Have an open mind. Believe me...I used to be the pickiest eater on the planet. Ask my dear mother. As Ive grown older, I've opened my eyes to all of the delicious and nutritious foods this country has to offer. I never would have touched stuffed cabbage with a 10 foot pole 10 years ago. But when someone brought in their version of stuffed cabbage from the Ukraine, I was shocked at how delicious it was. (I'm still begging for the recipe). My husband always turned his nose to sweet potatoes on Thanksgiving...and just said "I don't like them". I forced him to try them one year...and now he begs for all the leftovers to come home with us. Sure there are still many vegetables I do not like. Sometimes I will just force myself to eat some, and other times I just stick to what I DO like. If you can find 10 small meals/snacks that are clean that you enjoy....stick with them and rotate them. They did a study and people that eat the same thing everyday tend to maintain a lower weight. I'm not saying eat the same thing everyday...but if there's something you love that works for you...don't be afraid to put it in your cooler everyday. If you absolutely HATE quinoa, stick to brown rice. But please.....until you try it...don't just say "I don't like that". My husband now responds with "I have never liked that, but I'm sure when you make it, I'll like it" because I've proved him wrong so many times. He loves the protein pancakes I make with ingredients being cottage cheese, eggs whites & oats.

That's it for now! I'm sure I will continue to think of things to share.

Part 2: Motion is Lotion

 


Ok so you read part 1...got the book, went to the grocery store and have already seen the positive changes taking place in your life! And now you are saying...but I want more!! More muscles, less fat, shredded abs, that V shape that everyone wants etc. So here's where we talk about that other 10% that you CAN control. Remember...it's 80% nutrition, 10% exercise and 10% genetics. If you were to spend time and money on one area...it would definitely be the nutrition. I gaurantee if you ate clean everyday and never exercised, you would still be smokin hot! But we are never satisfied are we?? We want more!

Here's where I'm kinda sad to share my secrets with ya'll. This is the part where I could totally play super-mom and act like I workout 3 hours a day, work full time, raise 2 perfect children, maintain a clean home, eat clean everyday, and volunteer at the homeless shelter. (Ok so we all know that I fail at most of those things on a daily basis...but let's pretend here).  HOWEVER, I vowed to help people and show you all how easy this is. I literally woke up one day and looked down to the beginning formation of a 6 pack. To my amazement...I was NOT spending hours in the gym like I have in a previous life. Here's my story...

I've always been a cardio junky, which is no secret to most of you. I live for a pounding pavement, sweat pouring, joints crushing, runners high. I kept hearing all this jargon that I need to be lifting in addition to all the cardio I was doing. I hired a personal trainer, got the fancy gym membership, and began spending 2 hours a day trying to become lean and mean!  1 hour of running, 45 mins of lifting, and 15 minutes of core about 5 times a week. I kept a journal to make sure I was consistently getting stronger...I was doing everything right...or was I? You can believe my shock as I tried to pull my pants on one day and I couldn't get them over my quads. I had morphed into this bulky beastly pile of muscle covered in a nice little layer of fat. Sounds hot right??  This was Totally NOT the look I was going for...at all! My shirts were tight in the biceps...I looked goofy and had wasted hours of my life achieving that look. Most of the reason I experienced this disappointing result was due to nutrition. Sure I had packed on muscle mass, but was not feeding my body the proper nutrition at all.

1) Cardio alone is not the best way to lose weight and get fit. Muscle burns more calories than fat...we know this. I'm lazy...(ok I'm not really lazy but I dont have time...like I barely have time to go to the ladies room and am frequently jumping around the house doing the potty dance while trying to serve the kids dinner). So wouldn't it be nice to pack on some muscle and burn hundreds of calories a day by doing nothing??? Yeah that's what I thought. The thought alone of sitting on the couch eating ice cream carrots and burning extra calories gets me giddy!

2) Steady state cardio sucks!! Yep! Marathons are fun..(did I seriously just type that?) but they don't give you the physique you've been craving. Have you ever compared a picture of a marathon runner to a sprinter?




Marathon runners almost look flabby don't they? Meanwhile sprinters have that chiseled body with every muscle sticking out saying look at me!!! Which one would you rather resemble? That's a no brainer for me! And I happily cut 20 mile runs off my to-do list without hesitation. (I'm not saying that steady state cardio is bad for you, we all know cardio is good for you. But to get the best bang for your buck, this is not the way to go on a daily basis.)

3) Lifting weights alone is not the way to go either! Have you ever seen those meatheads at the gym chugging protein powder and doing a billion bicep curls? But then they turn sideways and you look past their ripped out arms and see a belly protruding from their tight under armour shirt? Not hot! Lifting alone definitely builds muscle mass, but unless you superset and get your heart rate up, you probably won't get that perfect bod.

So now you are thinking...how the heck am I going to have time to do all of this? What if I told you that you could get ripped in as little as 20 minutes a day? 20 minutes!! No fancy gym membership, no hours on the treadmill, no personal trainer screaming in your face and you don't even need to buy a home gym. Just a few dumbbells and a DVD. Meet Jillian Michaels!


Some may know her from the biggest loser! She is an amazing personal trainer that has made  some awesome workout DVDs. I highly recommend the 30 day shred!









Jillian uses a 3-2-1 principle of 3 minutes of strength, 2 minutes of cardio and 1 minute of core. Basically its an all encompassing workout. There are 3 different levels and let me just warn you that level 2 is the devil. When I started doing this workout...I was simply trying to find a workout that would take the shortest amount of time. I had read a bunch of articles recently saying you don't need to work out 45-60 mins at a time. You can actually achieve greater levels of fitness in 20 minutes if you BUST IT! That was right up my alley! (Remember not having any time and doing the potty dance?) I love that I never have to worry about whether I hit a specific muscle group or not...or whether I've done cardio...or core. This bad boy has EVERYTHING in 20 minutes. No one has an excuse to not workout for 20 minutes. And even 4 times a week will give you great results. So if you are a full-time working parent like I am....set a goal of trying to do this DVD twice during the week and then Sat & Sun. Aim for 2 out of the 5 days...and I guarantee once you start seeing the results...you'll start squeezing it in even more often. This DVD can be found on Amazon.com for $7-10 or Target and those types of stores. You need a few dumbbells...3 lbs, 5 lbs and maybe 8 lbs. But that's it. Everytime I finished this workout...I would be half naked by the end and dripping in sweat. 10x more sweaty than when I would run on the treadmill for 5 miles. Heart rate was THROUGH the roof! Here is another one I highly recommend that is very similar.


 This is based on the same system as the 30 day shred, but there are 4 levels. She does a lot of combination moves (think Lunge, twist with Bicep Curl) which kills 3 birds with one stone (legs, core, biceps). Basically with the combination moves...its the equivalent of a much longer workout in a shorter amount of time. I'm all about killing birds with stones. (A little angry today)  I think Ripped in 30 is my favorite of her DVD's so far.


If you don't like Jillian Michaels or have something against lesbians...try something else. P90X....(great results with P90X but its more like 50 minutes a day). If you don't want to use DVD's as workouts...just make sure you are getting some high intensity interval training in the mix. Sprint intervals on the treadmills are good for jacking up your heart rate. Follow it up with a little kick boxing and weight session.You have to be careful with too much cardio because you burn your muscles off, We WANT muscles...remember...free calorie burning? Sign me up! And honestly...if you truly think you don't have time for 20 minutes a day....get creative. I may or may not have invented a way of working out in the operating room while standing in one place and no one noticing. (Ok work peeps...if you see me doing weird leg things I'm probably secretly trying to work out!!...shhhh!...it heightens my focus too :) Take the stairs...clean your house as fast as you can....rake the leaves...use your kid as a kettle bell! (I may or may not have tried that too!!...they love it!) Just do SOMETHING! There's nothing wrong with hiring personal trainers, having fancy gym memberships, or home gyms. All of those are great if you have that luxury. But all I'm saying is that you don't NEED any of that. For me...the extra 15 minute drive to and from the gym was adding an easy 30 minutes to my work out.....which I didn't have time for once I had kids (potty dance anyone?). These DVD's are great because I can do them while the kids are napping (yes I've mastered getting 2 kids to sleep at once....which I'm more proud of than any degree I've ever earned).

Maybe someday I'll get back into running marathons for fun. But for right now...I learned the hard way that I don't have to! I don't have to work nearly that hard and I can look much better! Sounds like a good deal right? I'm much leaner and happier with my physique now by working out 20 minutes a day vs. 2 hours. You can do it too!....and I'm Christine Moore and I endorse this message :)

Part 1: Clean Eating

Some of you may have seen the picture I posted on facebook. Believe me...it took some courage to put that up there. Of course the thoughts went through my head...what will people think of me? will people from church see this? will people from work see this? people from high school I never talk to? Yes...its social media. But one thing made me hit the "post" button. The thought of helping someone else. Even if I just helped one person....that in itself was worth putting my stomach myself out there like that. So here is the question....how did I go from this

 to this....

in just 2.5 months. Now that's really putting myself out there. Who really has the guts to post a picture after having their second baby in a bathing suit top and underwear? But I didn't feel like I would be making my point clear without showing a true starting point. And lets get one thing straight.....the first picture was after months of unsuccessful dieting. The point is...we all have to start somewhere. So this is part 1: clean eating.

When it comes to getting lean....I truly believe in the theory that its 80% nutrition 10% exercise and 10% genetics. There is 10% we cannot control...(thanks a lot Mom & Dad for giving me hips the size of Asia). But I learned early in life to not even worry about things out of our control. Time to focus on the portion that we DO have control over. Now when you look at the total picture....80% of the 90% we CAN control is directly related to what we shove in our pie hole. You read that right. I feel as a society...we have put much more emphasis on working out when it comes to being healthy, and not enough on  nutrition. I have heard people say to me before "you are small because you run." Don't get me wrong...running definitely helped me maintain my size at times, but its truly what I ate that made me smaller.

A few months ago I decided to join my friends 24-day challenge through Advocare. It is a 10 day cleanse followed by 14 more days of clean eating and supplements etc. I was a huge diet pepsi addict and knew I needed to get off that toxic poison. The challenge kick started all things clean eating. I quickly realized how good I felt, how quickly my body was transforming, and muscles were starting to show up despite my lack of exercise at the time. The challenge (especially the cleanse) was perfect to get me going. I am the type that sometimes needs to invest a few bucks to adhere to something I set out to do. I tend to get caught in a rut of SUnday night thinking "ok ok...tomorrow I will eat better." Then I walk into work and see the huge box of panera bagels and strawberry cream cheese whipped stuff (the person that made that stuff is evil!) and its all over. So for me...Advocare helped because I spent some $$..which made me discipline myself more. (I recommend the cleanse and its only about $35...just to get going. Let me know if you are interested at all because I signed up to get a discount when a bunch of friends and family wanted to try it). You absolutely do NOT need to do any of the Advocare stuff to get these results...its just how I got going in the beginning until I adapted the lifestyle. I am not trying to sell you anything here...I repeat...you do not need to buy any supplements for these results.

What is clean eating? I wish I had a dollar for everytime someone asks me this question. To everyone...clean eating means something different. I highly recommend Tosca Reno's book called "The Eat Clean Diet Recharged". Read it front to back.....know it...and spread the word. But here it is in simple form:
1) Eat more! (I know you are saying what????....but yes!) Eat 5-6 small meals a day. Eat every 2-3 hours. I try to combine complex carb + protein for every small meal. Examples would be apple and natural peanut butter (with ingredients just peanuts...nothing else added), strawberries & cottage cheese, rice cake with almond butter, hard boiled egg & apple, Chicken & Brown rice. These are just some examples. Before eating clean I tried every diet, weight watchers, calorie counting, low carb, HCG, starving myself etc. This was the first time that I had to set a calorie MINIMUM for myself. 1200 is the magic number. Do NOT go below 1200 calories a day. Eating every 2-3 hours ensures that your metabolism is on FIRE! Your body is never worried about getting fuel...so it never conserves energy (fat)..and continues to burn burn burn. Also...unlike dieting...pretty much everytime you start feeling hungry its time to eat again. It's amazing...but the minute I feel any signs of hunger...I look at the clock and its been about 2-3 hours and its time to eat again anyway.

2) Eat breakfast everyday within an hour of getting up.  I know everyone has been told a million times that breakfast is the most important meal...yah yah yah. But its absolutely true. Your body has been starving all night long. How can you expect it to propel you out of bed and start the daily grind without any energy? And look at what you do to your metabolism when you start running around like a maniac, but don't take in any energy? Your body panics and says "conserve energy" aka...store fat. Jump start your metabolism by having a big healthy breakfast full of the good food God intended you to eat. My breakfast favorites are raw oats (1/3 c raw oats, 1/2 sliced banana, handful of walnuts, 1 Tsp of unsweetened coconut, drizzled with almond milk) or protein pancakes (1/2 c cottage cheese, 3 eggs, 1/2 c old fashioned oats, 1 scoop protein powder...blended and cooked like pancakes)..for syrup I boil strawberries and puree them (you can add stevia or agave if you need it sweeter). Or you can cook some eggs..and have an apple on the side. Eat something substantial to get yourself going!

3) Drink 2-3 liters of water everyday.  Stop right there! I don't want to hear the excuses. I never liked water either...I work in the operating room where its impossible to drink water...and if you can get your hands on it...its impossible to go to the bathroom in the middle of a case. Believe me...if anyone has an excuse on this one..I do! If you don't like water...have a chugging session. That's actually what they recommend. Just chug a bottle at once..a few times a day. But someone told me "The more water you drink, the more you will crave it". And its true! Water is like crack to me now...I hoard it at work. I feel crazy if  I don't have water with me...and I may or may not have been known to disguise myself as one of the supervisors and call food services at work and demand they fill our anesthesia fridge with water. Yes..I'm crazy! Cold water burns calories...hot water keeps you full. Just FYI. I don't care if you drink it from the toilet...just drink it! ewww...

4) Pack a cooler. Everynight I spend about 20 minutes packing a cooler for the next day. As I mentioned before....5-6 meals of lean protein + complex carb. It really doesn't take that much time. And theres a lot you can do to prepare on the weekends to make it easier during the week. (Buy a rotisserie chicken and pull the meat off and put it in little baggies, chop veggies, make a home made soup etc). If you always have access to a little cooler..it makes it a lot easier to turn down the panera bagels with strawberry cream cheese crack spread. Its hard to turn that stuff down for nothing...but its a lot easier to trade it in for something else you have with you. You will find that your tastes change...quickly. Sweet stuff tastes yucky to me now...and cottage cheese and strawberries taste really sweet to me?!

5) Watch your portions Obviously if you are eating 5-6 meals a day...they aren't going to be as big of meals. I tend to have a little bigger breakfast, lunch, and dinner and then 2-3 smaller snacks in between. I try to make dinner one of the smaller meals of the day. At night...your body is gearing down to go to bed...no need to take in a bunch of energy...it will just be in excess and stored as fat.

6) Avoid processed foods I repeat...avoid processed foods! We have completely messed up what God ever intended for us to eat. We have pretty much contaminated everything He put on this earth for our financial gain. The cost? Our health. Everything we eat is laced with sugar, hydrogenated oils, etc. Things that come in packages.....are bad. Stay away from all things processed with added sugars, preservatives, dyes, etc. You will occasionally find something in a package that is somewhat clean (Trader Joes chili chicken lime burgers...yum...look at the ingredient list! You will be pleasantly surprised). But read labels like crazy!! You would not believe the things we inject sugar into! Meats? Breads? what the hell? And artificial sugars?? BAD BAD BAD!!! Stay away from artificial sweeteners...splenda, aspartame..all of it. They are all hundred times more sweet than sugar (eventhough it doesn't affect your calorie count) it makes your body crave more sugar. It triggers your receptors just like if you would have eaten real sugar. It's bad....real bad! If you need sweeteners...stick to all natural. Stevia, Agave nectar, honey, pure maple syrup (sorry aunt jemima!).

7) Avoid alcohol It doesnt take a genius to realize that alcohol in excess amounts makes us fat. Look at what happens to many kids when they go to college. It doesn't do anything to help speed up metabolism....it bogs down our liver with toxins etc. Its ok to have a glass of red wine occasionally or a beer. But lets not get crazy and undo all our success and hard work!

I know this is a lot to take in...but seriously read Tosca Reno's book. Absorb her knowledge. I can honestly say...that this transformation was one of the easiest things I've ever done. And after a month of being very strict....now I live about a 90% clean life and 10% cookies, cupcakes, brownies, bites of my kids pizza etc. But my metabolism is so high now....that even if I eat a little bit of crack chocolate, my body just burns it right up! I definitely recommend being very strict the first month to get all that toxic crap out of your system and to reset your metabolism. After that....your body is ready to handle little glitches. I was amazed that after going to a chili/rib cook off...where I HAD to (part of the rules) sample one of each 7 chili and 7 rib entries (I almost threw up from the amount of meat I had just ingested) that when I stepped on the scale the next day...I still LOST weight.

Ok...so would it be easier if I gave you a sample day? For some reason..that always made it a little easier for me.

Wake up! Rise & Shine...its eating time!!!
6 am: raw oats (recipe above)
9 am: pink lady apple and 2 Tbsp natural peanut butter (for the record..pink lady apples are so sweet that I always feel like I'm cheating by eating them...they just shouldn't be allowed! So delicious!)
12 pm: Handful of blueberries, fresh Broccoli & Egg salad (2 hard boiled eggs, a bunch of chopped celery and onions, mustard, hot sauce, relish, a little cottage cheese to make it creamy)
3 pm: Sliced strawberries & Cottage cheese
5 pm: Chicken Tacos (2 large romaine leaves topped with black beans, quinoa, taco seasoned chicken, and salsa)
7 pm: I sometimes skip this snack but protein shakes are good. Find a protein you like...my favorite is Dymatize Iso-100 (cookies and cream is DELICIOUS!!)  At this point in the day, really start limiting your carb intake. I try to avoid fruits from 3pm on.

So there ya have it...typical day. Ok...heres some more help. I always say to combine complex carb + lean protein. So here is a list of each.

Complex Carbs:
Quinoa *
Brown Rice Cakes
Sweet Potato
Chickpeas* (garbanzo beans...delicious roasted)
Lentils
Brown Rice
Canned Pumpkin
Oats*
Fruits
Veggies
Sweet potato

*denotes the double dippers. These are complex carbs that are also packed with protein...doubly good!

Proteins
Chicken
Flank Steak
Salmon
Fish
Eggs
Edamame
Ground Turkey
No sugar greek yogurt
Tuna
Shrimp
Natural Protein Powder
1% cottage cheese
Tofu
Pork/Red Meat (once per week)
96% lean Ground beef (trader joes)
Almond/peanut butter

Fats  Definitely don't forget your healthy fats. Try to eat some everyday.
Olives/Olive oil
Natural Nut butters (peanut/almond etc)
Oils (healthy)- Udo's, olive, coconut
Avocado
Goat cheese (this is the only cheese I eat...my sister in law taught me that cheese = cottage cheese legs...ewwwwwwwww)


Breads? I don't really do breads.  You can have ezekial low sodium bread. I occasionally eat 1/2 of a multi-grain flat out wrap. But I feel like these are gateway drugs foods. You eat some of them..and start craving all the carby crappy processed stuff you were eating before. I typically stay away. But you can definitely do the ezekial bread if you want.

Ok...the questions...

Will it increase my grocery bill?
Shop at costco if you can. Costco saves me a ton of cash. But honestly...I don't think clean eating has really increased our grocery bill. You would be surprised at how expensive all that pre-packaged processed crap is! A box of granola bars is like $4...or you can get an entire container of oats for $3. We have always had some amount of fruit and veggies here...we have just traded out processed crap for more fruits and veggies. We eat a lot of eggs...and eggs are dirt cheap. $ is no excuse in my book. If I had to invest money in ANYTHING...it would be the health of me and my family and looking and feeling my best. You are crazy to think that any type of makeup, designer jeans, fake tan will cover up carrying around an extra 20 lbs! Put your money where your mouth is...literally. Also..if you have to..drop your gym membership. I will talk about how to get an amazing workout at home...for CHEAP!

Can I still drink beer?
Sure. You wont have AS good of results...and trust me. Cut it out completely for one month (the strict part) and then you'll find that you don't like drinking it nearly as much as you used to. Especially when you see the results...no beverage is really worth messing up shredded abs. But I still have a beer or two.

Do your kids like the food you make?
If you even had a clue how hard I try to make my kids eat healthy...and fail miserably everyday. So then I do the best with what I have. I buy Annies organic mac n cheese, whole grain breaded nuggets, natural peanut butter and no sugar added jelly etc. Its fighting a losing battle. Other ways I make meals for the family..I will make tacos and I use ground turkey mixed with lean ground beef (96% lean) and I use romaine lettuce as my taco "shell" while the rest of my family eats traditional tacos (also plain greek yogurt is a great substitute for sour cream). I will make chili chicken lime burgers for everyone...and again I will eat it with a romaine "bun" while everyone else has a regular bun.

What do I order when I eat out?
Easy...grilled protein + complex carb. If you decide to go the salad route...bring your own homemade dressing. Google "clean eating dressing" and you'll find tons of recipes. I make up a little batch in the magic bullet and stick it in a sealed container and then a zip-loc and throw it in my purse. I will order salad with grilled chicken, shrimp etc. and then use my homemade dressing. But I'm telling you...as your tastes change..you might find yourself scarfing down a salad sans dressing. I have eaten a spinach salad with goat cheese with nothing else on it but sliced strawberries and it was delicious.

I am not a nutritionist. I am not certified at anything but anesthesia. All I can share is what worked for me....and it was a piece of cake. Ive been eating like this for about 3 months now and I'm just amazed everyday at how my body continues to change. If you don't have time to work out....I guarantee you will lookin smokin hot if you just follow these simple principles.

Disclaimer..this lifestyle is very rough on your credit card. I went through 3 jeans sizes in 2.5 months. I was not prepared for how quickly my body would be changing...and my credit card took the hit. So if anyone needs any size 29, 28, and soon to be 27 jeans...let me know! (size 8, 6 and 4 in american sizes). I'm not complaining.......I'd much rather have this problem than the opposite!

Phew! Exhausted??? SO am I! And some carpal tunnel to boot! Any more questions? Shoot away! Ready to get started? Message me on facebook! I would love to encourage you..help you develop meal plans...give suggestions etc. Even if you want to send me a quick note saying you are going to try it...just to help keep yourself accountable. I'd love to say that this hour of my life writing this blog was not wasted...and I helped at least one person. Stay tuned for part deaux!

(Un)Doing it Yourself!

Well...a lot has been going on in the Moore household lately. And when I say a lot...I really mean a lot of dishes. About 2 weeks ago Carson asked me to help in the kitchen...(believe me, I take full advantage of these requests). I had taught him how to put the dishwasher tablet in and hit the start button. The little guy got all excited about his "chore"....but when he pushed the "START" button, nothing happened. So then like most 2 year olds....he kept pushing it over and over and over and over saying "I fixed it!". I then proceeded to tell him that Daddy must have broken the dishwasher (because its funny to hear him repeat it over and over to Travis about how he broke things and Mommy fixed them :)

I immediately began googling dishwasher issues and within 15 minutes, the little engineer in me went to work. Of course I checked the fuse box, the latch, amongst some other things. But then I quickly went into full-out disassemble mode. Screws were flying...wires everywhere...panel taken completely apart mode. And ....nothing. No power....no nothing.

So then we were faced with the question. Calling a repair man...possibly spending $100-300 repairing it...or spending $$$ to have it looked it and have to buy a new one anyway. Or buying a new one...and installing it ourselves. I wasn't in love with our dishwasher to begin with...it was the one appliance that when we moved in I thought to myself "I'll be kinda happy when this guy dies!" What kind of homeowner ever makes a statement like that??

So the cheapskate in me went to work on how I could get the best bang for my moolah! Luckily it was Columbus Day...and if Columbus didn't really discover the USA and was a slave owning Pocahontas killing bastard explorer...at least he DID save me a few bucks by having Columbus Day sales! So I got 20% off...plus I had a coupon for 10% off...then I did what any Clevelander does...and buys Giant Eagle gift cards to get free gas...plus a rebate. So I got a $850 dishwasher for around $500. Not to bad when you consider it would have cost about $100 just to have someone come look at our 4 year old dishwasher. And not to mention...I lurve this guy! Stainless on the inside...no grimy food stains or build up! I hate that. Ok but here comes the funny parts.....and the silly things I learned

1) Not all dishwashers come with a hard food disposal anymore. In fact...most of them dont. In fact again...even the super fancy Bosch brand doesn't have them. Most of them now come with a filter that you have to clean out. I did not know this....so I ordered a dishwasher....then realized this mistake. So I had to cancel and re-order the dishwasher...because I am NOT cleaning out a grimy food filter every couple months.

2) Youtube is super duper helpful in learning how to hardwire a dishwasher and install all the water lines. What would we do without youtube?

3) Ok...so heres the funny part. We hook everything up for the new dishwasher and flip the switch on the fuse box....and nothing. You can just imagine our faces when we just went through all this...and the brand new dishwasher wouldn't power up. I began thinking the power line was bad...which is embedded in our drywall. We would have to knock out the walls to get to the end of where the power line was plugged into. I began searching for other options and I noticed this little switch under the sink. This little switch happened to be in the "down" position. I flipped it "up"....and sure enough the dishwasher powered right up. So what does this mean? This means...that someone may have accidentally bumped the switch into the off position...and there may have been nothing wrong with our first dishwasher to begin with. GASP!

4) Dishwashers are non-returnable.....

5) Live and learn from our lesson. Sometimes its cheaper to do things yourself....(or undo them)...and sometimes it costs ya! Either way..you always learn a lot in the process (like how to install a dishwasher...and that dang little switch under the sink). Its just one of the fun joys of being a homeowner!

6) I thought we could live without a dishwasher (because my mom grew up as 1/6 kids and never had one) but I was mistaken. I think I may have mentioned once that I was going to hurt myself or someone else if we didn't get the dishwasher installed by Sunday evening. 

7) I'm not afraid to admit in public (or the world wide web) that my husband was right (this time)! He wanted to have someone come look at the old dishwasher.

8) I don't really care what people think of me. I'm not afraid to put myself out there and look stupid. I learned a long time ago not to take myself too seriously..and we all make mistakes. And sometimes...they are funny...and fun to share with others.

9) I really like dishwashers with stainless on the inside!

The End!

Dear Dad

Dear Dad
I can't believe it's already been 4 years since we had our last conversation. I even remember what we were talking about and love the fact that it was a hilariously funny convo that had you laughing so hard mom could hear you from the other side of the house. I'll never forget your roaring laugh....it makes me smile just thinking about it.

A lot has happened in 4 years...so much that sometimes it feels like 10 years. I finished grad school, moved back home to Avon lake, started my career in anesthesia at southwest, bought my first house (you would love it), had Carson in march of 2010, and Macie in December 2011. Our family has grown a lot in many ways. You would be so proud of everyone.

Not a day goes by that I don't think of you or talk about you. I'm not just saying that either. You are still so much a part of who I have become. You always told me how proud you were...you always made my confidence soar. You believed in me when I had given up on myself. I'm so grateful that you got to meet Travis and walk me down the aisle. He is such a wonderful husband and father. I just wished you could have met Carson & Macie. I will be sure to tell them all about you. I will call them "wee lassie" and "wee laddie" just like you would have. Even though you are not physically here with us...you are in spirit and your legacy will go on. I'm glad I've healed to the point that I can write this without tearing up. It's a lesson that life does go on. Always remembered and never forgotten....you make us smile everyday Dad.

Living life...when there's not much left to live

So I debated on whether I was going to share this story with anyone, let alone everyone. But after telling a few people and seeing their reaction, I felt compelled to share this experience.

A few years ago (wow time goes fast!) I started my career in anesthesia. I've said this many times, but there were 2 people that stood out in my mind as going above and beyond to help me and make me more comfortable. One of them, we'll call her Kate for identity sake, took to me right away. She was the first person I ever called outside of work, the first person I introduced my husband to, and one of the only people at work that got me. Our friendship at work grew and it was awesome that she completely understood my sense of humor...the sarcasm...everything. She started calling me "little bitch" because I gave her the nickname "grandma". We even got a few people at work to believe that she was my grandma... she was barely old enough to be my mom.

Fast forward...Kate stopped working at my hospital in the spring of 2012. I was pretty upset since like I had mentioned...she got me. She was also pretty devastated about the situation. I spoke with her a few times and would text pictures of the kids whenever I got the chance. She loved the kids...would always ask about them etc. 

Monday I walked into work---and was immediately dealt with the news that Kate had 7-10 days to live. Shock. Utter shock. How could this be? She was at the Cleveland Clinic...Main Campus...remember this post? Immediately I knew I had to go visit...and a few seconds later the excuses started floating through my head of why I couldn't. My kids are sick. I hate going to main campus....like anxiety panick attack HATE it. I am too busy with work. They said she has 7-10 days this past Saturday...it is now Monday...will she even be alive when I get there? Will she even recognize me? Would it just be a waste of my time? Is she conscious? I'm on call tomorrow....and then its Thursday...how many days is that from Saturday? 1--2--3---4--5....five days...which is not seven...or ten. I have to go...but I can't. 

As if these excuses weren't bad enough....rumors started trickling in. I shouldn't even call them rumors..because in reality...it was just the truth. The cold, hard, raw truth. A few people had gone to see Kate already (apparently she had been in the hospital over a month and no one knew). The scene that they were describing sounded like something out of a horror flick. I know my co-workers were trying to prepare me....but the anxiety continued to soar. 

I see sick people everyday. I'm talking....really sick. People at the lowest points of their life. I take care of them all day long like its my job (..ok so it is my job). It doesn't bother me...as a matter of fact...it empowers me. We fix them...and fix them again...and fix them a third time. We fix so many people who have 1 foot in the grave that I began a whole knew reality of thinking that death doesn't even exist. I was in disbelief when my Dad passed away a few years ago because I truly started believing that people don't die anymore....we just fix them. I can look at people with tubes coming out of every orifice of their body, on feeding tubes, breathing tubes, and medically induced comas. Does not bother me. But its a TOTALLY different story when it's someone you know. And that's where I'm a coward. I would find every excuse on the planet to avoid seeing someone I care about...sick....let alone on their death bed. 

Tuesday rolled around...I had an excuse if I wanted to go that route...I was on call. Sounds good enough right? As the day wore on..my conscience grew stronger. Something inside me kept saying "this is the least you can do for someone who helped you so much" Everything aligned and I ended up getting done with work early...and Travis already had plans to pick up the kids. So off I went....down to hell main campus. My heart was beating through my chest as I drove through the pouring rain. Its funny how weather has a tendency to match moods and feelings. As I started making my way through the 8 billion skyways 

Remember? Oh..apparently its 9 billion...sorry. If you have ever been to the Cleveland Clinic, you know what I'm talking about...but they play this really trippy meditation music. It is NOT relaxing at all....it was actually very eery. The rain was pounding against the windows and I could see all the traffic zooming under me. Everyone was walking at me all dressed in white...and my thoughts were racing about 100 million miles per hour. Heart thumping...thumping...I almost turned around and went home. But I kept walking.

I walked in her room......she looked at me...and I looked at her. The tears immediately began flowing. The first words she said to me were this...." I....knew...you'd come....I knew it." Imagine the relief I felt. Trying to avoid tears myself, I immediately changed subjects to the kids. I showed her some pictures of Carson & Macie and she got a big kick out of that. Mentally she was about 50/50. One minute she made sense...and the next....it was an incoherent story about how the doctors were trying to get her....(but don't worry...she said we would get them first!). Sometimes she would just close her eyes...and deep down...I was terrified she would die while I was there. The scene that everyone had described at work was accurate...I won't go into detail...but I had nightmares that night. They hired a sitter to sit in her room with her since she had tried to pull out her lines before. She seemed very nice, but kept to herself. Sometimes when Kate would start talking silly...she would make a funny face. It made me laugh. Then at 7....it was shift change. I had been there about an hour, and it would have been completely appropriate for me to say goodbye at this point. We had shared a few stories...a few laughs..and she even called me "little bitch" once or twice. But something inside me said no...don't go...not yet.

A new "sitter" came in and took over. I saw them looking at me and giggling while giving report. Finally I said "I know you ladies are talking about me." And they smiled and said "we were just talking about how beautiful you are!" It was a really nice compliment...but I could tell..there was just something different about the new "sitter". She was so bubbly...and full of life. I talked to Kate for a little longer, but as the night continued...she became more confused. I decided it was time to go...but then I stopped and said "Kate...do you want to pray with me?" She immediately began sobbing and shaking her head yes. I grabbed her hand...it was so yellow with jaundice....I just can't even compare it to anything I've seen before. I took a deep breath and started...

"Dear Lord.....I just want to thank you for blessing us with this time. I want to thank you for blessing us with this beautiful friendship. I pray that you bless Kate's body...." and I could just hear Kate weeping. I needed a second to re-compose myself. I paused. I took a deep breath. And another one. And then I felt a hand on my left shoulder. The sitter began praying the most beautiful prayer I've ever heard. She was speaking through me. She was saying everything I wanted to say but didn't have the strength to get out. I wish I could even remember exactly what she said....but I was so moved that I just listened. It was a long prayer....much longer than anything I could have come up with. More meaningful than anything I could have imagined. She prayed for me...and my strength to sit bedside with Kate. I remember that part. She prayed with passion....more passion than I could have mustered up at that point. And when she finished....I said a few more words..and Amen.

The sitter then walked next to Kate's bed and knelt down beside her. The two of us began telling Kate about God. We told her that she's not alone...and that God will NOT give her more than she can handle. The sitter began telling Kate that this is just a test. God is testing us...and we don't know what the outcome will be...but we just have to have faith..."crazy faith" as she called it. I told Kate that it's not too late...it's never too late. Kate was more focused and locked in than she had been all night. She was focusing on every word we spoke. Nodding her head....locking eyes with us. And then she stopped and looked at me and said this
"I never knew....."
"Can I still tease you?"
and my response...was
"of course...and you can still call me little bitch"

The sitter and I began sharing faith stories, and I started telling her about some Bible studies my community group was doing. She immediately began looking up all the verses I was mentioning in her bible and was getting teary eyed with our discussion. She was seeing things in the Bible that she had read time and time again, but had never read. After a little while longer, I decided it was time to go. My phone was about to die...and after all....I was on call.

As I walked through the skyways back to my car (amazed I even found my way back)...I felt total peace. Calm. No heart thumping. Didn't even notice the rain...or the "white people"...or the trippy music. I put one foot in front of the other...knowing with each step...that I just changed my life more than Kate's. What happened in that hospital room was living. And if it was going to be her last day...or mine for that matter...it would have been one of the best.

The Moore's ate S'Moores

We had a little trip planned to Pine Lakes Lodge and invited some extended family to come along with us. It was a little odd because the trip was Mon-Wed, but I figured it would be nice to have the weekend to pack and relax and then a little getaway at the beginning of the week. The drive down went really smooth (which I was nervous about since it was the first long car trip since Carson was potty trained). We arrived at the lodge and immediately felt a sense of cum-by-yah as we were surrounded by beautiful hill tops and camels? true story.

ahhhhh.....stunning right? Monday was really fun! Carson went fishing with his new disney pole and caught more fish than anyone!

Cutest little fisherman if I must say so myself!! He then proceeded to tell us that he has seven girlfriends!!! Not sure how he has time for that....but apparently he's been pimpin in the sandbox or something. Crazy kid! Ok where were we.....next we taught him how to roast marshmellows!

He asked for a chair....apparently roasting marshmallows is hard work! And then we stuck to the clean eating diet shoved a bunch of S'mores down our throats because....after all..that is the name of this blog! Then.....an epic event happened! I invented something. Yes...moi...after 5 years of engineering school and about a billion dollars in loans, I finally put my degree to good use. I believe this invention could turn me into a Pinterest celebrity/goddess! It's called the Cookie Dough Crack S'More! And you my friends....will be in on the secret first! I'll even give the "how to"

 Ingredients
- 1 tube of chocolate chip cookie dough (disclaimer..consuming raw cookie dough can be bad)
-2 graham crackers
-2 Marshmallows
- Square of Hersheys chocolate (optional)

So the first thing you do is break off a piece of the chocolate chip cookie dough and roll it into a ball. It helps if the cookie dough is cold. Next Put one of the marshmallows on the roasting stick, followed by ball O' cookie dough, followed by another marshmallow. Basically a marshmallow cookie dough sandwich...are you following? Confused? See exhibit A

Okey dokey? Here's the hard part...making sure the cookie dough doesn't fall off into the fire. It helps if you start out with cold cookie dough, and also perfect ball rolling skills too. (Remember the protein balls? I'm pretty skilled at making balls....just sayin). Roast the marshmallow/cookie dough to perfection. Then sandwich the ooey-gooey mess between two graham crackers! And inhale about 6 more savor every last bite! Tah Dah!

After I called the attorney to submit my patent...we all sat around the campfire enjoying good company. Tuesday was fun...(sort of!). Murph (from Murphy's law...were close now..I can call him "Murph") decided to follow me down to Salesville, Ohio to my nice little family trip. Insert multiple runs back and forth to the ER (not going into details)...and move on to Tuesday evening. We grilled out and enjoyed some more marshmallow roasting (can you see where my clean eating went to hell at this point?). The sunset was a beautiful splash of red and yellows splattered amongst the hilltops (& camels) and the evening was absolutely perfect. Brandon and Rachel (Travis's brother and g/f) disappeared with their dog Alpine. We were all sort of wondering where they went...and when they returned, Rachel had a sparkly diamond perched on her left ring finger!

 

That was definitely a memorable highlight of the trip. Wednesday morning we enjoyed a calorie free wonderful breakfast made by the Amish people. Does that sound bad?...even if it sounds bad...it tasted delicious. Those Amish can make some salad bacon and homemade jam if I do say so myself. Something about when they put that little hat on...it just makes everything taste better.

 Ok..that sounds bad! 

Wednesday we had a nice little drive home, followed by a laundry explosion.  And if you think Murph couldn't find his way back from Salesville, Ohio...guess again. He wanted to prove to me that he has a good sense of direction by meeting me in the local Costco parking lot. See Below.

Splat!! that's where they got the saying about "crying over spilled milk"...or breastfeeding (those of you who know what I'm talking about...sorry...it sucks!)

Oh...and a follow up to the protein balls? I made them again following the recipe to the T.....and here she is

Perfection! I perfected making balls! Go me!

 

Murphy hates me

I've mentioned my aforementioned love affair with Murphy's law before (insert sarcasm). Somehow I pissed off Murphy in a previous life because he haunts me daily.  For those of you who aren't familiar (consider yourself lucky)

Murphy's law- anything that can go wrong will go wrong

I cite examples to my mom and best friend on a daily basis, so they are fully aware of the catastrophes. But I decided to open up to the rest of the world about this problem, so everyone else gets an idea of why I kick kittens and pull little girls pig tails  seem flustered from time to time (like everyday).

Example 1: we had two packs of meat in the fridge...one was expired and one was still good. I told Travis I was going to cook up the meat and make some tacos. I look on the counter and see a pack of meat sitting there and just assume Travis set out the good meat for me. So I start cooking the meat and adding all kinds of yummy spices. I get almost done cooking the meat and I'm not sure what possessed me to look at the package again, but I notice I've just spent a half hour cooking the expired meat!!! So now I have to throw it all away, wash the cookware, and eat snickers ice cream for dinner start cooking the meat all over again. Either my husband was trying to kill me (I do have a decent life insurance policy) or Murphy was out to get me again.

This is just one small snippet example of what my whole day looks like. If you read the Cleveland clinic story, you know what I'm talking about. My life is full of dropping, spilling, traffic jams, eggs splatting  on the driveway, forgetting, rain on wedding day isn't it ironic? The thing is, I'm not all that great at handling these things because I'm a control freak. I like everything to go as planned and conversely I plan everything. I'm starting to get the feeling Murphy doesn't like planners. Or maybe God is just trying to tell me to slow down and live a little? Lately when I get frustrated I try to ask myself "will this matter in 2 weeks?" surely having to re-cook ground beef won't make a difference in my life in 2 weeks. (however getting mad cow disease might...haha). But even when I try to go with the flow, in the back of my mind I'm thinking...I must be número UNO on Murphy's hit list.

Clean Mean Mom Machine!

Alright...so some of you have seen some random pictures of food I've posted and probably wondered what has gotten into me? Well about a month ago a friend approached me about doing the Advocare 24 day challenge. I could do an entire post on exactly what that is...and maybe I will someday, but basically its a weight loss/health gain challenge in which  you eat "clean" and take some supplements along side. If you know me, I'm a complete diet pepsi addict!!! But the part that frustrates my husband so much is that I never actually finish a can. So he will come home to a house with 6 partial cans of diet pepsi laying around....anyway back to the point. My friend mentioned that this is a good way to get off of Diet Pepsi and lose the last 5 lbs of baby weight gain some health. I knew I needed to do something because I was failing for months at getting the last few pounds off. So off I went..... bought lots of stuff at the grocery store that was on my approved "list", swallowed some cleanse tablets, and proceeded to drink the entire Lake Erie lots of H20!

Well something happened right away besides lots of trips to the bathroom (kidding). I started feeling sooooo good. The weight was just falling off even though I was eating the same amount of calories that I was before. I always knew how to eat "healthy and clean", but what I didn't know was how to get started. Once that part was figured out...I almost became obsessed about what I put into my body. I also started working out a little more consistently just because the weight was coming off and my muscles were starting to show a lot more. It was just a beautiful thing all around. If you want to know how to eat "clean", I highly recommend Tosca Reno's books. But basically you cut out all the processed crap, eat tons of veggies and fruits, lean protein, eat 5-6 times a day, drink Lake Erie once a day, and voila! Weight loss! Its everything we've always known to do...yet we just get stuck on how to start. The challenge ended....I lost about 8 lbs and 10 inches, but really it was just the beginning of my new healthy lifestyle. Now each night I spend about 20 minutes packing everything I'm going to eat the next day and it just feels great to load my body with healthy and nutritious food. So like anything....the minute you start a new hobby the next place you look for inspiration is..........Pinterest!
I began pinning a billion healthy and clean eating ideas (and some snickerdoodle blondie brownies...whoops). I decided I was going to try something new and make some raw and vegan protein balls! Sounds crazy right??

Well there were all kinds of different recipes for these "balls" of sorts. Some had dates, some had nuts, some had coconut, some had almond butter, some had quinoa etc. etc. etc. I couldn't decide which recipe sounded the best so I decided to make a "hybrid" of sorts and make up my own recipe. NOT. A. GOOD. IDEA! Do Not Make Up Your Own Recipe Of Protein Balls Period! basically what happened was ...I decided all of the sticky stuff sounded really good...bananas, peanut butter, dates, etc. And some of the other stuff I omitted....was more dry. It turned into a sticky mess.....see Exhibit A

It was a big ole sticky mess. Everything was stuck to my fingers....I couldn't get them to roll in balls. I tried freezing them first...that didn't work either. Basically I had to live forever and ever with "protein balls" as fingers. No...actually I licked my fingers because it tasted delicious. And my husband licked the foil clean of protein ball goo (true story). Then what happened next is even better......some of the lake water I was drinking spilled all over my "protein ball" assembly station. See exhibit B..

 

Ewwwww yuck right? Watery almond meal! But somehow despite all odds...mission was accomplished! And behold the glory of "protein balls"!! Tah Dah!!!

*tear* aren't they beautiful? Next time I will definitely stick to one recipe. I plan to make some more this weekend. They are great to keep in the freezer for a sweet craving attack quick little protein snack before or after a workout. Have you ever had a major pinterest fail? or tried to make a hybrid of recipes and it turned disastrous??

Stay at home (super)Mom!

So I had a week off and decided to take a little staycation at home with the kids. The goal was to have Carson potty trained during that week and get some things done around the house. Things seemed to be going well when carson was potty trained by Monday afternoon. I remember thinking for a split second "now what are we gonna do?" since most of the weeks agenda was focused on that. Quickly things spun out of control and by Wednesday evening there was a tearful S.O.S. call made to my mom. What I didn't understand was how I could be so miserable at home spending time with my kids. I mean isn't this what people dream of? All those comments I get about "don't you wish you could stay home with your kids all day?" "don't you feel bad leaving them at daycare?" This week off was supposed to be "died and gone to mommy heaven" right??

I'm not sure if it's because I'm not used to being at home all day or if I'm dependent on the luxury of bein able to run errands "kid-free" sometimes, but trying to get things done while watching them was harder than anything I'm tasked to do a work. Mentally AND physically draining! We're talking that "I haven't sat down all day, been eating while standing while spooning while cleaning and slicing strawberries at the same time all day long" draining. And eventually I ran out of gas and broke down feeling guilty and confused. Why was this not heaven for me? Should I even consider having more kids? How do my stay at home friends do this??? Do they have really messy houses?? Do they have super powers?

I wiped away the tears and decided to just throw the kids in the car and head out to the playground for some fun. The kids absolutely loved the swings an I felt a sort of calm come over me. Until Carson Said "Mom I gotta go pee!" I quickly looked around to see if there were any outhouses near by. Where was Dad when we needed him for the "teach how to pee on a tree" lesson? Basically I took him near the woods and pulled down his pants and pointed at the tree. He looked at me like I had 4 heads and politely said "Mom I have to go to the bathroom!". I tried a few more times toget him to go on the tree without making a scene and finally packed the kids up
And crossed my fingers he could hold it util we got home. (he did).

Thursday I sent the kids to school for a bit to take a Xanax  breather. We were in the middle of re-financing our house and I didn't want to take both kids into the bank. Friday we decided to go to the zoo and take my niece and nephew too! We had a really nice time! So I came to the conclusion that if we just relax and do fun things, I really enjoy myself. But when I'm trying to get things done, and have all these plans, and nothing works out how I planned...I get really frustrated. I also realized that I'm constantly trying to pile way too much onto my plate. (why did I start blogging again??! Haha). I want to have a career, be fit, eat and cook healthy food, have a clean house, spend time with my kids, be a good wife, manage the entire house and finances, spend time at church and quiet time with God, take and edit photos, write a blog, wear fashionable clothes etc etc etc. it never ends. Anyone who knows me, knows that I'm go-go-go-go. I know it will all get crazier when the kids are in activities etc, so I'm gonna have to force myself to slow down sometime.

So if you have ever asked yourself "what do stay-at-home Moms do all day?" Do yourself a favor and never ask one of them that question. It truly is one of the hardest Jobs, and they do more than you could ever imagine. I'd love to hear some tips and tricks and how to get my hands on your super powers  from my stay-at-home friends. How in the H E double hockey sticks do you do it all?? Then the nerve to post pics of your kids eating Brussels sprouts to top it off...really??? Really?? How many Thomas toys did you have to pay out to stage that photo? Haha There was definitely some peace last night when I set my alarm to go to work. I thrive on schedules...routines..and a little "me" time. I know having a career makes me sane  the best mom I can be. I know I'm setting a good example for mmy kids and showing them how to work hard and support a family. I absolutely love my job and feel that I have a good work/life balance and a lot of time to spend at home w my kids. But seriously...I could use some super powers!

Main Campus Disaster

Ok....some of you who know me, know that I possess a "big city" phobia of sorts. No I'm not afraid of big cities per se, I actually love going downtown to fun events (Go Browns) and nice dinners. However, when it involves everyday life and running errands, I get huge anxiety when it involves a "downtown" of any sort. Somehow there is always some sort of traffic jam, getting lost, random pan handler, parking nightmare whenever I embark on a downtown errand. A few specific examples come to mind, but my interview at UH stands out for some reason. I decided to live out my dream of doing pediatric anesthesia and applied for a position at UH. I left with what I thought was plenty of time to arrive early, but after sitting on Carnegie Rd at 9 billion traffic lights, I quickly watched time slip away. If you know me, I'm very type A and cannot stand to be late for anything, let alone an interview. I'll shorten up the story with I ended up having to park on floor 15 of the parking garage (aka roof) in the pouring rain and frantically called the interviewer (5 minutes late) and asked him to just come find me. My dream of doing peds anesthesia quickly turned into a nightmare and the situation ended with me politely withdrawing my application on the way out the door and realizing there was no way I could work there when I could barely handle showing up for an interview. Since then...I've been known to drive an extra 35 minutes to get an ultrasound done if it means I can avoid main campus.

Where am I going with this? Well...my paranoid type A self has been known to diagnose my kids with a few different issues/diseases. Ive been told by my pediatrician to stop "googling", "WebMDing" and "Go back to work" before. So once again...a little paranoia + "google.com" created disaster in the Moore household. Next thing you know I am convinced Macie is cross-eyed as I scrutinize every move she makes. I decided to take matters into my own hands since my pediatrician thought I was crazy shrugged off the idea that Macie had an issue. Knowing I had the week off, I made a bunch of calls to make her an appointment with the eye doctor. Of course I did everything I could to avoid main campus, but with the time frame I had...it was un-avoidable. And of course google.com said "Best outcome with earliest intervention", so this was some sort of emergency in my mind.

So last night I started mentally gearing up to go down town. I packed our bags (they said the apt could last 2 hrs so I wanted to be prepared) and made a plan to leave an hour early so if I hit any snags, frustration would be at a minimum. I plugged in the address into my GPS and off we went. Everything besides the traffic jam/car accident on I-90 seemed to be going smoothly until we got off on Carnegie Rd. I could feel my heart rate rising as I started hitting each traffic light. There are signs posted everywhere about how all the lights are monitored by cameras. Now if you know anything about main campus Cleveland Clinic it's a little bit like this...
Exhibit A

 

Ok I'm exaggerating a little bit (not really). So of course when my GPS prompted me to make a wrong turn twice, I was in a very not good place in Cleveland. SO I decided to scrap the whole GPS thing and take things into my own hands. I decided to just start looking up in the sky at the 9000 Cleveland Clinic buildings to see if any of them said "Eye" on them. The lady on the phone said it was "well marked". As I'm trudging along....I find myself in this situation. 

Exhibit B

 

So where do you think I ended up? Of course...in the RTA Bus only lane. I was sandwiched between 2 RTA buses and a cement barrier and starting to get worried that some random was going to try and open the door thinking it was an RTA bus.

Finally I got myself out of that mess and was greeted by a big sign that said "Cole Eye Institute". I'm finally in the clear with 5 minutes to spare right??? WRONG! As I pull up to the parking garage, a lady walks up and says "Sorry were full!, just make a left, a right, another left, 2 lights down and a right, and you can park there for free!" I roll my eyes and try to remember how many lefts and rights I needed to make. I finally find the parking garage, and have to drive around in circles for 7 floors until we get to the ...yep....roof! Of course...it was pouring rain again. I was having deja vu of my UH interview experience, except this time I have a little baby that I have to drag through the pouring rain as well. I load up the baby in the rain and start running towards the nearest shelter so I can try to find my way back to the "Cole Eye Institute". Now if you know anything about the Cleveland Clinic..you know it looks like this.

Exhibit C

 

 SO here I am, soaking wet and running through the 9 billion skyways like a lunatic trying to find my way back to the Cole Eye Institute. I guess I can't complain too much since it was better than doing it in the rain, but I felt like I was on the amazing race. I'm surprised I didnt alert the Cleveland Clinic Security since I was running as fast as I could through these "skyways". So as I'm trying to avoid having an MI (heart attack for you laymen), I finally arrive to my destination....17 minutes late! I decided that I didn't care if Macie was cross-eyed the rest of her life, I was NEVER going back there she was perfect in my eyes. Awww! 

The story has a happy ending though. The doctor said I am crazy Macie is perfectly healthy and she just has a wide bridged nose (another thing she can thank me for later). I count my blessings everytime I think there is something wrong with one of my kids and I walk out with a perfect bill of health. I always say a little prayer for those parents that will get some other unexpected type of news from leaving that office. I truly am grateful for healthy kids, but next time, I will try harder to avoid going downtown. Even if it means I have to drive to the countryside somewhere. The End!